Park Geun-hye is headed back to the Blue House. On Wednesday, South Koreans chose the daughter of South Korea’s Cold War strongman Park Chung-hee as the country’s next President. Park, the 60-year-old leader of the conservative Saenuri Party, defeated 59-year-old liberal challenger Moon Jae-in — once jailed for opposing her father’s rule — by a margin of about 3.5%. She will now move back to the presidential residence where she lived as a child and where she served as de facto First Lady after her mother’s death. Park has spent much of her life in her father’s shadow. Now, as the country’s first female President, she will need to chart her own course.

Moving forward won’t be easy. When outsiders think of Korea, they think of a divided peninsula, with the 38th parallel separating the totalitarian North from the democratic South. But South Korea itself is split. This year’s closely fought presidential race showed that South Koreans disagree not only about the future but also about the past. As the daughter of the most influential leader in her country’s modern history, Park Geun-hye is at the heart of that debate.

To her supporters, Park Geun-hye is a symbol of stability. After seizing power in a 1961 military coup, her father, General Park Chung-hee, made economic growth a national priority, picking promising industries and using them to export the country out of poverty. He put development first, urging his countrymen to “fight while working.” That relentless work ethic helped the country become a global economic player.

When First Lady Yuk Young-soo was killed in a botched attack on Park Sr. in 1974, Park Geun-hye stepped in as the acting First Lady. Her service to her grieving father (himself assassinated five years later) won her a reputation for steadfastness, poise and competence. Yun Byung-se, a career diplomat who served as an adviser to Park Geun-hye’s campaign, describes those years as formative: “Her involvement in politics and policy issues started very early.”

But Park’s political pedigree also works against her. While Park Sr. is worshipped by many South Koreans, especially older folk, for transforming the country’s economy, he is despised by many others. Park Chung-hee once wrote that, “In human life, economics precedes politics or culture.” But fulfilling his economic ambitions caused him to tighten his grip on power, not loosen it. He jailed and tortured dissidents, dissolved the legislature and rewrote the constitution to buttress his own position. To veterans of South Korea’s democracy struggle, daughter Park is a symbol of the country’s authoritarian past. For years, Park refused to criticize her father. This fall she officially apologized for the excesses of his era, but without condemning him outright. “I know more than anyone the divergent views about my father,” Park told TIME in written responses to questions. “I want to be judged on my own merits.”

To win over her critics, Park Geun-hye will need to make good on her campaign promises. The race that ended Wednesday saw Park shift the ruling Saenuri Party away from the conservative policies of unpopular incumbent Lee Myung-bak and toward the political center. Though South Korea is predicted by HSBC research to grow at a rate of 3.8% in 2013, many of its citizens are worried about the future. The gap between rich and poor is widening, household debt is high, and a growing number of people believe the economic deck is stacked against them. Both Moon and Park pledged to reform the economy, notably by reigning in the conglomerates, or chaebol, that have dominated the economy since the Park Chung-hee era. Any effort to do so, however, will likely encounter strong opposition from conservative voters, which puts Park in a tough spot.

Another issue is gender equality. South Korea may have elected its first female leader, but it is a heavily male-dominated nation, ranking a miserable 108th in the World Economic Forum’s 2012 gender-gap rankings — sandwiched between the United Arab Emirates at 107 and Kuwait at 109. Women earn on average 39% less than men and are overrepresented among contract laborers who often toil for low pay with no benefits. In the run-up to the election, Park promised a “women’s revolution” if she were elected and added issues like child care to her platform — but while her family name means that the Establishment will listen to her on issues of women’s rights, she may need to temper her message in order to retain its support. Her critics certainly aren’t sold on her commitment to gender equity, noting that Park herself played to stereotypes during the campaign, promising “motherly” female leadership should she win.

Perhaps she should just drop the motherly part and concentrate on delivering good leadership, period. That means setting a clear vision for her administration and explaining how she’s going to realize it — preferably without the aid of the cue cards and prompters she typically uses. Park’s reliance on set-piece speeches has already earned her the nickname the Notebook Princess. As of Wednesday, she must start writing her own script.

Park Geun-hye created a history in South -Korea by
becoming the first female president in the presidential elections. She is from
Saenuri party and defeated Moon Jae-in of democratic party not by gaining
narrow points but with great difference in the points. In downtown Seoul, she interacted with
almost all media people and said that she... –

I lived in South Korea in the 1980's and saw the ending of Dictatorial governments. I knew someone (a General) who was in the same room when Park Chung Hee was assassinated. Certainly from a perspective of personal liberty and safety, Korea came through a very turbulent time ending in the 80s. I am surprised to see his daughter take over power, as it appears to be that thoughts of her father's regime is a reminder of a frightening time. Certainly N Korea has still people in South Korea who try to effect events. Foreign spies work in North American Univeristies (and elsewhere) by the way, and no one should be surprised that foreign governments "interfere". It is hard to imagine from today's perspective the fear that existed regarding n Korea in the 60's and 70's, but I see no defense as any dictator as a great man/woman.

A Notebook Princess weighs significantly heavier for South Korea, and for N/East Asia, than a Notebook Prince would for that matter. Furthermore, Park definitely is a leader who thinks through thoroughly before delivering her speeches, quite unlike the eloquence of certain political leaders whose words sound more than hollow after a term in office...

I bet you a lot of the fellow Korean here writing probably drives a Japanese car, a pro-North Korean and probably doesn't read about Korea as much as they should. It would also help to interview people that lived during Park Chung Hee's era, the ones that hated him and the ones that loved him. From there you can see who is being irrational and who is being rational then filter out the nonsense, but the solid fact still remains, South Korea is what it is today because of his so called "18 years of harsh rule." The fact that South Korea did not teach Korean history during KimDaeJung and RohMuHyun's era, why can't these idiots take into consideration they were being fooled with "false" history by certain teachers and politicians. There are some youths that even believe South Korea started the Korean War. That fact alone should trigger some common sense that there are way too many pro-North Koreans in South Korea then we imagine. Whatever the case, no one is perfect, but you have to know and acknowledge both the positives and negatives that a leader did for his/her country. No matter how much of a villain you label Park Chung Hee, there are solid facts that exist in South Korea today of how much he impacted the economy and industrialization of South Korea. So stop it with this elementary level bull.

@GeekFreak32 This article is thoroughly talking about Park Geun-Hye won the election and pointing out she is 'under at the heart of that debate'. Hey pity guy... before you sucking out Park Chung-hee's anal, stop writing biased opinions you ignorant. Regardless Park Chung-hee was successful or not, the fact now is his daughter is the 'president'. Your point seems Park Chung-hee was a successful/influential leader that being said so she also gonna be the successful leader. for example Is Michael Jordan's son is still great in the NBA?? is Jordan's son gonnabe biologically programmed to be a great basketball star? . what is difference between you and North Korean people sucking their great leaders balls no matter what. I saw Park Geun Hye since debate against MB during Hanara party election. her first image to me was strongly questionable. This article is also pointing out and mocking 'Park’s reliance on set-piece speeches has already earned her the nickname the Notebook Princess.'you will find out this easily this is very last paragraph from this article.

I'm writing biased opinions? Your comments below was pro-North Korean and now you're trying to pull away from it with these comments. Are you bipolar? Okay, so what does Michael Jordan and his son have anything to do with this conversation? You realize athleticism is genetics and a gift right? You're saying knowledge of politics is genetics too? Hell, I thought those were learned, not handed down by DNA. She learned from her father's mistakes and success thus that's why she's careful in public as to not accept all the things Park Chung Hee did. Besides she had a lot more experience in politics than her running mates. You didn't like her debate against MB? I don't think so. There is a thing called people making mistakes and people changing their minds, better to have an open president than a stubborn one. As long as mistakes are not on purpose like taking Korean History out of education or sending millions of South Korean money to North Korea without making any demands or selling off major Korean companies because they don't support the corrupted politicians. Sounds familiar no? Are you saying that's less sinful to the Korean people than Park's debate against MB???

The fact that I had to go out and do this just shows you how one sided you are. Instead of doing research, you copied and pasted only the fact that DaeWoo was in debt. You wonder why Kim Dae Jung wasn't being supportive? It's because DaeWoo, unlike Hyundai, didn't donate millions of their dollars to the corrupt pro-North Korea politics. Hyundai donated car, cows, food, money to North Korea, though it was a good gesture, but more so because Kim Dae Jung was pro-North Korean. Like I said. Government has the power to force banks to lend money where it's needed. Hyundai and Samsung was in the same situation as DaeWoo during the IMF, but was secretly bailed. The downfall of Chaebol companies means the downfall of South Korea. Get that in your head. I don't give a rats as* if someone is liberal or conservative. I only care if they do their job right or wrong.

"Why is Mr Kim, and not Mr Chung, now facing the humiliating public dismantling of his business empire? The answer boils down to politics and paper. The government believes that the recovering economy can now handle one big corporate crisis, but worries it might tumble again with two—especially one involving South Korea's largest firm. Besides, Daewoo's finances really are worse than Hyundai's. Aside from having a higher debt-to-equity ratio than Hyundai, it was particularly dependent on short-term debts. In October, the government put a ceiling on the total value of bonds and commercial paper which the top five chaebol could issue, thus cutting off Daewoo's access to capital and eventually precipitating its near-bankruptcy. By bringing Daewoo to the brink, President Kim has shown he can indeed challenge the chaebol. But he has yet to prove he can save them."

"Worst of all, the environment that nurtured Daewoo - in which expansion equaled success, banks were eager to lend and officials were always supportive - is changing. And the government of President Kim Dae Jung is pushing Daewoo to get with the program. "How they handle Daewoo will tell us how serious the government is about corporate restructuring and changing old ways of doing business," says Bill Hunsaker, research head at ING Barings in Seoul."

@GeekFreak32 One should be judged by one's own conduct, not by who one's parents are. I don't know why you are blaming DJ government for not saving DAEWOO while we were talking about Park Geun Hye.

DAEWOO=ACCOUNTING FRAUD.

Daewoo's Bankrupsy = due to CEO Kim's insolvent enterprise and window dressing settlement. "Every international politics and economy specialist clearly stated and said DaeWoo and Korea First Bank could've been SAVED by the Korean government." ---> can you give a link? I can not find it. I really want to read those fact. I seriously do not understand why government shouldve been saved DAEWOO at that time. You are idolizing Machiavellian Park Chung hee as blaming of every liberal politicians.

Saving DAEWOO--->no longer South Korea (government were not afford to bail out and save fugitive CEO Kim's group)

those of your opinions are easily refutable.

please correct me if I am wrong.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Daewoo_Group.aspx--->READ<Pre-Millennium Collapse>"By July 1999, the company owed its creditors more than $50 billion. The company’s perilous financial situation was further exacerbated by the recession that hit South Korea in 1998, the country’s worst economic slump in nearly half a century. In spite of these warning signs, Mr. Kim did not desist from his aggressive acquisition strategy. While other chaebols had begun implementing measures to slow growth in the midst of the country’s fiscal crisis, Kim Woo Choong persevered with his ill-advised program, acquiring 14 new companies and increasing the company’s debt by 40 percent in 1998."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daewoo----><Crisis and collapse> "Daewoo went bankrupt, with debts of about 80 trillion won (US$84.3 billion)." "However, most of these companies were too debt-ridden to do much more than survive on further bailouts."

http://www.forbes.com/2001/01/05/0105faces.html--->"But when the Asian financial crisis hit in 1997, Kim made the big mistake of taking on more debt instead of scaling back operations. His strategy failed badly. The automaker declared bankruptcy in early November, 2000, and is in court receivership. Now Daewoo Motor is $10 billion in debt. Kim, who faces criminal and civil fraud charges related to the bankruptcy, has fled the country and is rumored to be holed up in a luxury estate in France."

You read one article. Is this what they teach you in school? You need to go to college first and learn what research is first. 6 trillon won? That's chump change to how much DaeJung and MuHyun ran away with. Every international politics and economy specialist clearly stated and said DaeWoo and Korea First Bank could've been SAVED by the Korean government. Why are you denying it with your own implemenation of thoughts? Do you keep up with current events in United States? How did U.S. Government bail out GM, U.S. is in a real large deficit but they have the power to? Government has that kind of power, that's called protecting the interest of your own country. Park Chung Hee had his lows, but who in the hell wouldn't be alchohlic if your wife gets shot? Are you even reading what you're typing? Would you be happy if a maniac shot someone close to you? Did you look into why later in his presidency he was alchoholic? NOOOO, because that's what your anti-South Korean friends taught you.

My first impression on Park Geun-Hye was not eloquent as I expected -still she is not- I know great debater doesnt mean great leader but this is the one of the most important values to evaluate certain presidential candidate not the Biological loftiness. Recently oops I am sorry let me correct myself 'mostly' she was stuttering too much during 1st, 2nd and 3rd debate. And like you mentioned, 'better to have an open president than a stubborn one.' she is the stubborn compared to any other and you are the most."She learned from her father's mistakes and success thus that's why she's careful in public."---- >Yes she is careful because she doesnt know anything. success? to be a Japanese military officer? military coup? I hope she never imitates Sr. Park's debauchery and alcoholism. There are still debatable pros and cons on aiding North Korea. Honestly, I do not support that pointless program since 2002 skirmish in the yellow sea. North Korea must apologize first. So I am not the so called pro-North Korean like Park Chung-hee once was.

thank you for me giving me a Home work. yes I did some research. I hope you like it. the CEO Kim woo Joong had a private consultation with DJ and asked for invest 6 trillion won to survive. is 6 trillion won what you talking about "could ve easily been saved"? man think about it South Korea was under bankruptcy due to former glorious president. how can government pay for that amount of money?? are you bipolar?

Let me explain it. Republican Abraham Lincoln represented pro-industry northern states with slave liberation. And southern states were against fundamental reformation toward industrialized society. The American civil war was essentially that of pro-fundamental-industrialization vs. the anti. So the CSA(southern states) regarded Lincoln as an oppressor so as to fight him and regretfully the CSA follower assassinated him later. In South Korea Park Chung Hee took the same role of Lincoln and the Democratic party was like the CSA. As for Park, he liberated Korean people from famine instead liberating slaves. In America, today's doctrine of Democratic party started from FD Rosevelt. South Korea's Democratic party does not arrive there yet. Still has traits like CSA. I guess Korean Democratic party will be reformed into one similar to USA Democratic Party of today or German Social Democratic Party afterwards. I hope worldwide citizens know this correct history of industrialization process so as to lead thier own nations in the right way.

@jtchun777 This is ridiculous. Park Chung-hee can be said as the leader of industrialization. However, his daughter is living in a totally different world. South Korea is in the post-industrialization process, and nobody can tell that there is a dispute on industrialization. Park Geun-hye's party has propagated social welfare policies during this campaign, not "industrialization." You're spreading a load of arrant nonsense!

My explanation is not for arguments about Park Geun Hye. I am just taking opportunity of showing the truth of past industrialization for people in developing countries. They will also see this article. Most of them are confused with which way they should go to develop their countries. Period.

It becomes fun. That means they should not follow only the name of"Democratic" but should follow the real historical truth. If saying Park GeunHye's party, they also have a lot of things to do to reach capitalism4.0 some of which she and the Democratic candidate promised.

@jtchun777 Nope, you said, "South Korea's Democratic party does not arrive there yet. Still has traits like CSA." I say this is ridiculous. You are saying that Park Geun-hye's party has reached a certain level but Democrats haven't. This is a whopping lie.

She is biologically female, but socially not. She is just "daughter" of a former president who conducted a military coup and ruled the country by force for 18 years. Her main supporters never support women's right. They are conservative in gender politics. They just wanted her father's aura to come back.

@TamiamiTrail Her father's aura is just what South Korea needs. We don't need another softie who is a sucker for North Korea, spending millions, if not, billions of South Korean money to fuel their Nuclear Weapon building. All those naive fools who think North Korea will take South Korea with open arms are living in a dream. Their mentality is "Unite under North Korean flag" not the South. In order to gain respect from them, South Korea can't just put advancement in science in electronics and infrustructure, it has to go to military power as well.

@GeekFreak32 Park herself is planning to spend millions or billions of SK money for NK. She said that she was the right successor of DJ's Sunshine Policy, and scouted politicians from DJ's group during this campaign. So your naming of "softie who is a sucker for North Korea" also fits to Park Geun-hye. You need to learn more about your leader, and stop the McCarthyist behavior.

@TamiamiTrail Read the articles more carefully... many politicians believe she won't just openly donate. She will demand something in return. She's not an idiot to spend millions of South Korean money to fuel their Nuclear Weapons program unlike Roh Mu Hyun and Kim Dae Jung did. And if you ever watched the news, people of Korea and professional analysts wanted a president that would also take in politicians of the losing side to work out the problems of South Korea together. Like seriously do any of you guys actually spend time to read and do some research before typing?

@GeekFreak32 hello please let me talk to you something why are you using false information on this type of community such as "Their mentality is 'Unite under North Korean flag' not the South" and second why are you keep talking about her father?? yes her father was leader of South Korea once (pretty damn long) but his individual? economic success and glorious? achievement are not Park Geun-hye's.....

Do some research. Even American reporters and writers wrote articles about how DaeWoo could've easily been saved by the Korean government, yet KimDaeJung let it questionably be sold at a ridiculous price to GM. Like seriously do you read around or do you just spit out whatever sounds good to you? Yes, Korea was hit with IMF, I was there when this happened, but economy specialists pointed out it was hit as hard as Japan was and many of the major companies could've been bailed out from being sold. The fishier crap that was going on was not only was DaeWoo got sold at below value price but so was Korea First Bank.

@GeekFreak32 Hmm..ahhh please Yes South Korea made an ample economic development during 60s and 70s under Sr.Park's leadership period. but this is not his individual effort!! he is not all mighty,, as you probably know South Korean people went to Germany and Vietnam to get $$$ under his command. yes Saemaeul movement and construction of highways was successful I am not denying. However, man like you insist DaeWoo, Korea's First Bank and Korean Air into straight downward spiral is not under DJ's era it's under IMF/YS's era........ahhh your stereotype makes me scared seriously.

@JoonhoChoi Uhhh because an American reporter was in North Korea interviewing what their thoughts were about unification? Do you even look into what's happening before you blindly point fingers at someone? So you're saying North Korea is willing to be open arms on the idea of South Korea unifying the Korean peninsula? Kid, go to your corner and suck on a nut. Your comments are retarded as hell. If you want to defend North Korea that much, go to the division line and ask them to let you join them. If you think North Korean communism is all about candy and lovin, you're living in a dream. So you're saying Park Chung Hee wasn't the reason South Korea isn't econimically successful? Then name a president at that time that could've done a better job. Who? Kim Dae Jung who openly opposed everything Park Chung Hee did? You kidding me? He put DaeWoo, Korea's First Bank and Korean Air into straight downward spiral you naive pro-North Korean lunatic.

dictator becomes a strongman when his dictation becomes an economic success, according to TIME. I have to agree. Senior Park's dictatorship is what made SKorea what it is today, without him, we would probably have ended up like Cambodia, Philipines or Laos. Maybe not since Koreans are just Koreans.

@shawnnyc Unfortunately the younger generations 20s and 30s in Korea doesn't look at it that way. The only thing they point out to is that Park killed his opposing party members. At that time, South Korea was full of North Korean spies as well as traitors of Korea during Japanese Occupation. These very people were holding political seats in South Korea. Park saw this as a nuisance because they were the cause of the stalemate poverty economy of South Korea. He ordered to kill them to make progress of South Korea to an economic powerhouse and an industrial nation. No one would've known about South Korea and it's damn sure that Samsung, Hyundai, LG and all those companies wouldn't have that kind of success without his 18 year rule. It's almost too sad that young generations in Korea is so brain washed by pro-North Korean teachers and professors as well as politicians. They are driven by Hysteria.... just like that whole linking blood type and personality crap. With a little research, you can find out that nonsense started in Japan in 1920s by a fiction writer, brought back up in the 60s by another Japanese fiction writer...

According to Hwang Jang-yop who was former major politician in North Korea and defected to South Korea, Currently there 50,000 north korea spies in south korea, and they are deep in to the business, entertainment industry, even in politician and so on. These spies have tried to overthrow South Korea Regime as they made a deal with liberal party. Former President Kim dae joong and Roo Mu Hyun and her opponent candidate Moon Jae were made a deal with North Korea Goverment. That's why the North Korea goverment threatened Current president Lee, and Candidate Park

@bergamoitalia Younger generations of Korea, the 20s and 30s are easily bought into that very statement you just made. It's amazing how pro-North they are. Kim Dae Jung and Roh Mu Hyun even went far as to take out Korean History out of schools so those that are in the 20s were simply taught "fraud" history. I was reading the Korean newspaper, and some kids believe South Korea and the United States started the Korean War against North Korea and China.... this was the soul reason why Park Chung Hee executed so many opposing politicians. They were too many North Korean spies holding political seats in South Korea and with them in South Korea, there wasn't any way to make progress. Now these spies are brainwashing the young to divide South Korea within itself. Kids don't even realize it.

@GeekFreak32 I think a person who got brainwashed is you babo. stop reading conservative media news. please can you tell me any of liberal 'spy' politician name who is holding political seats in South Korea??please tell me his/her name. let me report to the police . and tell me which of major news paper is talking about that type of crap? seriousely you have a problem man.,.

@JoonhoChoi How naive and retarded are you to think North Korea doesn't send spies to South Korea? Like seriously what world do you live in? Do you think the communist North are very nice people that love South Korea with open arms? Then why don't you move your ass over there and see how they treat you. I'm reading conservative media news? It's more like common sense. Russia, China and North Korea has been sending spies to countries all over the world. Let alone even democratic countries do as well. How in the hell would you believe there aren't North Korean spies in South Korea when they speak the same language and come from the same root, it's much easier for them.

Kudos and congrats to Park. More women leaders, please. However, it is depressing that some pioneering women leaders rose thru family ties, esp. fathers, from Indira Gandhi to Benazir Bhutto to Park, and not on their own. Of course, the trait of family ties in politics happens everywhere to sons, daughters, marriages, etc. (And yes, if Hillary Clinton becomes the next US President conservatives will cry that she got her initial power thru husband Bill, whatever). Women like Margaret Thatcher should be admired for achieving power mostly or entirely on their own.

(I am copying this from what I wrote for other article. If not allowed, free to erase it, administrator) For a historical study for developing countries. Park Chung-hee was a man who played the role like Bismarck in Germany and Napoleon III in France during industrial revolution (Bonapartism). And then Deng Xiaoping in China followed him. In other developing countries, people should know this historical context to develop their countries. The point is that though different in extent among countries, authoritarian administration by community-oriented leaders are needed in the first part of industrial development. It was the same case for all the advanced and well-devleoping countries. Otherwise it will fail. There are many evidences fo that in the world. (derived from my theory "Historical justiceism")

@jtchun777 You know what's dumb? The 20s and 30s see Park Chung Hee as a villain because he killed his opposing party members (who were pro-North Korea), yet, see Yun Gye So Moun as a national hero. Yun killed his King and wiped out any politicians that were too soft or were traitors to Koguryeo. Still, with the kind of absolute power that he had, he was able to defend Koguryeo against Tang Dynasty, ShinLa and Baekje. So how was Park Chung Hee any different? He was surrounded by China, North Korea and Japan, not to mention spies of North Korea holding political seats in South Korea. His 18 year rule was harsh, but the only way South Korea was to progress was to get rid of those who betrayed the advancement of South Korea. If anyone else at that time was president, no one would have been able to make South Korea an economical and industrial powerhouse in such a short period of time.

TIME, I"ve been reading you for a long time. But you got one seriously seriously wrong. Not a strongman. A dictator. just like Sadam, Kim Jung Il, Fidel, etc. How about you publish articles that they are "strongmen"? huh? This is just wrong.

@pininfarina575 Except Park Chung Hee's 18 year rule made South Korea the economic powerhouse that it is today. If you ever heard of Samsung, LG, Pantech, Hankook Tires, Hyundai-Kia, Zalman and so on and so forth, then it was because of his harsh 18 year rule to make progress. North Korean spies in South Korean political seats were in the way and they were annihilated, massacred and hung or even shot. Heck, if you murder a person in Texas you're given a death sentence. If you betray a country, that's like murdering 50 million of your own South Korean people. I'm sorry to say, but hey, they deserved to die.

@jendowman Dictator and the only dictator who had the balls to stand up against North Korea. Dictator that was privately given 3 million dollars by an American general, only to have that money be spent on his country, not for himself. Dictator that built the infrustructure of South Korea that was needed, such as highways and railways to prepare an industrial nation he wanted South Korea to be. Dictator that helped Samsung, LG and Hyundai to grow into a proud world company that it is today. Dictator that killed his opposing parties because they were pro-North Korea that defied Park's ideas of South Korean economical and industrial advancement. Dictator that wanted South Korea military power, was shot at the time he wanted to make Nuclear weapons. Dictator whose daughter was gracefully born and elected as president to protect South Korea from naive pro-North Koreans and traitors to South Korea. So yes, a dictator indeed.